Nameplate mounting arrangement



May 18, 1965 J. F. RoJc ETAL 3,183,613

NAMEPLATE MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT Filed March 12, 1962 United States Patent O 3,183,613 NAMEPLATE MOUNTING ARRANGEMEN'I John F. Rojc, Glen Ellyn, and Grover P. Holther, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Portable Electric Tools, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 178,838 Claims. (Cl. 40-10) This invention relatesito a mounting, and more particularly to a method of atta-ching a nameplate to a supporting body, and to the resultant article of manufacture.

Various expedients are well known in the art for attach- 3,i83,6l3 Patented May 18, 1965 ICC form of a tool, and illustrating a preferred embodiment.

of the invention wherein a nameplate is attached to the ing nameplates to articles of almost every description.

For example, an article may be provided with suitable guides for slidably receiving the nameplate through open ends of the guides, after which the open ends are sealed to retain thev nameplate in the guides; or by arching a resilient nameplate and releasing it so that it snaps into place in the guides. Nameplates may also be suitably riveted to an article, or simply adhesively attached thereto. Some metal bodies may have a nameplate welded or soldered trereon, and numerous other expedients are well known. While many of the known expediente are entirely adequate under particular circumstances, those expedients which provide a secure and durable attachment for the nameplate usually require special equipment and techniques, such as in welding or riveting equipment, and nameplates which are snapped or slipped into position are` usually too easily unseated for many purposes. While many present day adhesives are satisfactory, their use generally entails special techniques without which the job becomes messy and burdensome, and is often generally unsatisfactory.

Quick and adequate attachment of nameplates to metal articles, such as the metal casing of the sanding tool shown in the drawings, can be particularly troublesome. Special lines are often manufactured to carry private labels of various retailers. It is often impractical to apply private brand nameplates on the production line, as is most obvious when articles such as tools are to be warehoused for later sale to such a retailer, and normally available techniques are not entirely satisfactory.

In `order to enhance the outward appearance and saleability of an article such as a tool, it is particularly desirable that the nameplate be applied in a sturdy and durable manner, and it is also highly important that the nameplate be applied in such a manner as to be aesthetically pleasing to the intended ultimate purchaser. In general, the attachment of private brand nameplates does not lend itself well to the use of welding, soldering or riveting applications, and adhesive application is generally out of keeping with the nature of metal articles such as tools.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a new and improved mounting of a nameplate on a body.

Another object is the provision of a new and improved method for attaching a plate to a body.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved article and method wherein a nameplate is secured to a body in a sturdy and durable manner while being both economical in manufacture and attachment, and aesthetically pleasing.

A more specic object is provision of a new and improvide method of securing a nameplate to a body in which a normally arched nameplate is positioned between opposed slots and is permanently deformed to a flatter condition to cause opposite edge portions of the nameplate to be firmly received in the slots.

Another speciiic object is provision of ya new and improved article in the form :of a body having opposed slots which receive and bite into opposite edge portions of a nameplate received in the slots.

tool body;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective View, with parts broken away along the line 2-2 of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged facial View of the nameplate prior to attachment to the body;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the namepiate o'r' FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section, similar to the cutaway portion of FIGURE 2, and illustrating the body prior to insertion of the nameplate; FIGURE 6 is a section similar to FIGURE 5, but with the nameplate of FIGURE 3 inserted in the body; and

FIGURE 7 is a similar section of a subsequent step during mounting of the nameplate ou the body.

While We have shown and shall hereinafter describe one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention as deiined in the appended claims.

The invention is, in brief, directed to an article and method wherein a plate is attached to a body, and more particularly wherein a nameplate is mounted on a body such as a tool casing. The nameplate, in an initial, normally arched condition is inserted between opposed slots in the body, and the nameplate is then permanently deformed to at least partially flatten the nameplate so that opposite edge portions of the nameplate are received in the slots, and more particularly these edge portions are interlocked in bitiny engagement with the slotted portion of the body.

With reference to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a tool such as a power hand sander having a body in the form of a longitudinally split casing. This casing has a supporting half 11 on which the motor and other components of the sander are mounted, and a cover half 12 tirmly secured to the supporting half in any suitable manner as by bolts 13. It should be noted that tool body It) may be of any suitable desired style, but in the preferred embodiment the parting surfaces 14 extend through a recess 15 in the body. This recess receives a nameplate 16. The nameplate should be of a slightly resilient material, and preferably a metal such as aluminum.

`With particular reference to FIGURE 2, nameplate 16 has an outer indicia bearing face 17 and an inner face 13 which is adjacent and facially opposed to a concave base 19 of recess 15. Nameplate 16 further has opposite side edge portions 2d received in opposed slots 21 in the body and adjacent face 19. As may best be seen in FIG- URE 5, slots 21 are dened by opposed sides 22 extending outwardly and generally normally from base 19, with opposed lips 23 extending toward each other one from each side 22. Slots 21 are in a substantially continuous peripheral side 2S of recess 15 and this peripheral side includes opposed sides 22 and lips 23.

Cpposite end edges 27 of nameplate 16 may have any desired coniiguration consistent with proper attachment of nameplate i6 to body 10 and herein these end edges are in the form of receding bevels 28 at side edges 20 and substantially parallel intermediate sections 29'each connecting bevel portions 2S at the respective end. The continuous peripheral wall 25 of recess 15 has end portions with complernentary bevel sides 3th generally normal surfaces of the halves passing through the vertexes. Also, f

in the illustrated embodiment these vertexes are spaced' f from adjacent intermediate edge sections 29 at opposite ends of narneplate 16, so that, if desired, a pry may be inserted in the recess for removing the narneplate from the recess without disassembling the casing halves.

As mentioned previously, recess 15 has a concave base 19. The deepest portion of this concavity is at parting area 14, and may be very slight. In practice, recess base 19 is defined by tapered portions of both halves ofthe casing, and the taper may be just sufficient to permit .proper drawing during molding of the casing. Thus, slots 21 and the entire peripheral side 25 of recess 15, as well as recess base 19, are formed during normal molding operation and no additional operations are required other than securing casing halves 11 and 12 to each other inl normal manner, in order to provide recess 15. This feature is of substantial importance in reducing the cost of applying a nameplate tothe assembled tool.

A feature of the invention is that side edges 2li ofthe nameplate are more widely spaced than sides 22, and these edges are tightly engaged in slots 21 and against sides 22, thereby firmly Vattaching the nameplate to body 1li. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, body may be formed of any suitable material, preferably metal, whicliis harder than nameplate 16, so that the portions of body 161 defining slots 21 bite into-edge portions 2i) of the naineplate to firmly interlock the nameplate and body.

In attaching nameplate 16 to body 10 it should be noted that the narneplate initially has a normal arched configuration in cross section between its opposite side edges 2u, as shown in FIGURE 4. This arched narneplate is inserted into recess 15 so that its opposite edge portions 2li are received on concave base 19 of the recess. Inner naineplate face 18, which is concave in the arched condition of the nameplate, is adjacent to and facially associated with concave recess base 19. One edge portion of nameplate 16 is positioned in an adjacent slot 21,

and more particularly this edge 20 abuts recessed sideV 22, as shown in FIGURE 6. It should be noted that lips 23 have an inner surface 33 which overlies base 19 and edge portions 20 of the nameplate when the nameplate is fully installed in the recess. These surfaces 23 converge inwardly and away from base 19 to facilitate'receipt of nameplate edge portions 26.

With the nameplate 16 positioned as shown in FIGURE 6, a tool set 34 is brought against the convex outer face 17 of the nameplate with sufficient force and in a direction toward recess base 19 to deform nameplate 16 and more particularly to deform the nameplat'e so that its inner face 18 is received in the concavity of recess base 19, in FIG. 7. Thus a force of sufhcient magnitude is applied to the nameplate to deform it into a substantially flattened condition and to spread nameplate edge portions 26 outwardly so that both of these edge portions are received in slots 21, and more particularly so that the side edges of the naineplate tightly engage the sides 22 on body 10, and the body 1G being of a harder material than the nameplate, these sides tend to bite into the edge portions 20 of the nameplate, as previously described.

By positioning one nameplate edge Ztl against a recess- `side 22, as previously described, the narneplate can move in only a direction away from this side when a force is vapplied by tool set 34, thus effectively preventing the nanieplate from becoming canted in the recess. Upon releasing the force applied to outer face 17 of the nameplat'e, that is upon removing tool set 34, the nanieplate fiexes slightly away from recess base .19 to a substantially d flatfcondition as shown in EiGURES firmly attached to the body.

As the nameplate ris being flattened yits, beveledV end edges 2d are spread outwardly into a position closely proximateend surfaces Si? of recessed peripheral wall 25, and sides 22 in slots 21 are of substantially the same height as the thickness of the nanieplate so that the adjacent poitionsof surfaces 33 on lips 23 also tightly grip nameplate side-edge portions 2d. Infact, as side edge portions 2h tightly engage sides 22Vthere is a tendency to deform these edgeY portions into even tighter engagement with surfaces 33 of lips Z3. Thus the nameplate is firmly secured `to body 1t? and is effectively prevented from movement in any direction. Y

We claim:

l. An-article comprising: a casing including a pair of ,casing halves removably joined together along parting V'l and 2, and is surfaces,said casing having a recess spanningsaid parting surfaces, said recess being defined by a substantially site sides of the parting surfaces and opening toward each other, and a concavebaseextending laterally fromv said parting surfaces and between said sides, each of said slots facing in a direction generally toward said parting surfaces, and the concavity in said base having its maximum depth generally coextensive with said parting surfaces, and a nameplate received in said recess, said nameplate having opposite side edges tightly received, one in each of said slots, for firmly securing the nameplate ,to the casing.

2. An article comprising: a casing including a pair of casing halves removablyrjoined together, along parting surfaces, said casing having a recess extending laterally from said parting surfaces, said recess being definedkby a substantially continuousy peripheral side having opposed slots on opposite sides. ofthe parting surfaces and opening toward each other, and a concave base spanning said parting surfaces and extending between said sides, earch of said slots facing in a ydirection generally toward said parting surfaces, and the ccncavity in said base having its maximum depth generally coextensive with said parting surfaces.

3. An article comprising: a relatively soft substantially fiat platey having opposite side edge portions and opposite .end edges transverse to the side edge portions, and an indicia bearing face; and a relatively hard body having a recess receiving said plate with the indicia bearing face facing outwardly of the recess, the recess being defined by a concave base surface and a continuous side extending from the base, ksaid continuous side having opposed slots definedby portions of said body tightly engaging the -edge portions of said plate, said continuous side further having opposed end portions, one end portion generally conforming to the configuration of the confronting end edge of said plate to firmly hold the plate, land the other ofV the end portions of, said continuous side being spaced from the adjacent end edge of theplate to facilitate removal of the plate, said plate being retained in association with said body with said face being arranged concavely in conformity with said concave base. y i 4. VAn article comprising:l a slightly resilient plate having .opposite edge portions, a body having a recess receiving said plate, the recess being defined by a base surface having a concave surface,and means for firmly holding the plate including an undercut side wall of said recess extending from said base,'said base surface including a mid-portion inwardlyV of said side wall, said plate being overi'iexed beyond a planar configuration with its edge portions being retained by said side wall of the body recess;

l5. In a tool having a casing, nameplate structure comprising: means associated with said casing defining a recess having spaced side edge portions and defining a concave space rearwardly kof a plane defined-by said edge portions; and a resilient narneplate having edges spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between said edge portions of said recess means when said nameplate is in an unrestrained arrangement, said nameplate including a mid-portion intermediate said edges, said edges of the nameplate engaging said edge portions of the recess means with said mid-portion of the nameplate being sprung rearwardly to be disposed within said concave space of the recess whereby a force is vdirected against said edges of the nameplate by said edge portions of the 10 recess means maintaining said mid-portion of the naineplate in the sprung configuration to preclude separation of the nameplate from said casing as by vibration thereof.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,324 11/32 Pocoioba. 404.2 2,257,015 9/41 Lamour 40-10 X 3,i22,s13 2/64 Pianeta 40-10X JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

E. V. BENHAM, L. W. VARNER, Examiners. 

1. AN ARTICLE COMPRISING: A CASING INCLUDING A PAIR OF CASING HALVES REMOVABLY JOINED TOGETHER ALONG PARTING SURFACES, SAID CASING HAVING A RECESS SPANNING SAID PARTING SURFACES, SAID RECESS BEING DEFINED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL SIDE HAVING OPPOSED SLOT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PARTING SURFACES AND OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND A CONCAVE BASE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID PARTING SURFACES AND BETWEEN SAID SIDES, EACH OF SAID SLOTS FACING IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY TOWARD SAID PARTING SURFACES, AND THE CONCAVITY IN SAID BASE HAVING ITS MAXIMUM DEPTH GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID PARTING SURFACES, AND A NAMEPLATE RECEIVED IN SAID RECESS, SAID NAMEPLATE HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES TIGHTLY RECEIVED, ONE IN EACH OF SAID SLOTS, FOR FIRMLY SECURING THE NAMEPLATE TO THE CASING. 